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Thursday, November 14, 2013

Sebastien Grainger: "Yours To Discover" (album review)

It's always exciting to hear what Sebastien Grainger has been up to. Whether it's Death From Above 1979 reunion gigs, or his new solo album Yours To Discover, there's always something interesting going on with him.

From the album bookends "Overture" and "Finale", you would think he's struck gold. The two quasi-instrumental tracks are an elegant mess...and that's a very good thing.

That isn't how the record plays out however. There are a lot of electronic sounds that creep their way into these songs, serving to sterilize cuts like "Your Body Works".
"I'm Looking For A Hand" is a faux stripped-down number that ends up sound reminiscent of Chris Cornell's latter day solo career. The partially-rapped "The Streets Are Still A Mess" is a political statement that seems half-hearted.

The shinier side of Grainger does strike all the right chords on the bright "I Don't Believe In Ghosts". Elsewhere, "Going With You" is undeniably infectious.

Grainger is at his best when his songs are catchy, without sacrificing rawness or spontaneity. That doesn't happen often on this album, but when it does, like with the corralled frenzy of "Waking Up Dead", it will leave you awestruck.

Despite a slower tempo, Grainger is absolutely menacing on "I Want Sebastien Grainger", a track that has a chilling "Atmosphere" type aura around it.

Yours To Discover is a bit of an uneven album, but if you can sit through the odd weaker number there are plenty of moments that will reward you.

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